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Vilnius Jazz 2019
Vilnius Jazz 2019 Russian Drama Theatre jny:Vilnius, Lithuania November 16-20, 2019 Is a jazz festival primarily about entertainment, or is it meant to challenge the expectations of its audience? Does programming risk mean financial suicide? What responsibility does a festival have to promote young, emerging talent? What place do women have in jazz today? How does jazz benefit from collaborations with other art forms? Does jazz carry a diplomatic passport, or should its practitioners ...
read moreRoberto Magris Sextet: Sun Stone
Italian-born pianist Roberto Magris likes to change things up. He can be seen and heard leading groups from trio to octet and beyond, and meshing quite comfortably into groups of all shapes and sizes. On Sun Stone, his fifteenth recording for JMood Records, Magris fronts an admirable sextet whose front-line includes the venerable Ira Sullivan on flute, soprano and alto saxophones, and the superb tenor saxophonist Mark Colby, abetted by trumpeter Shareef Clayton, bassist Jamie Ousley and drummer Roldolfo Zuniga. ...
read moreBlue Note Review 2 & Play a Game with DrJ, Newk & Lady Day
It's Gifts and Messages show No. 400 from the studios of WHYR—how did that happen? To celebrate (but let's face it, we celebrate every week), we have a game for you: tunes written by famous saxophonists 'reimagined' in 2019—name the composer. We also have a start on listening to the Blue Note Review #2 collectors' box (highlighting the compositions of Tony Williams); Sonny Rollins with Trane from 1956; and songs associated with Billie Holiday. Enjoy the show! Sincere thanks to ...
read moreLuca Aquino: Italian Songbook
Given a stroke of sfortuna, trumpet players can encounter physically and psychologically debilitating facial injuries. Maladies such as embouchure overuse, lip muscle tears, trauma, dystonia and Bell's Palsy can disrupt or end careers. After a devastating bout with Bell's Palsy, obtaining the guidance of trumpet “Yoda," Bobby Shew, and undergoing a lengthy recovery, Italian trumpeter Luca Aquino has delivered Italian Songbook—an utterly brilliant and beautiful production. Aquino, fronting various-sized ensembles, offers a dozen sublime selections each emanating ...
read moreFabio Giachino: At The Edges Of The Horizon
The set of invigorating and hard-driving straight-ahead jazz tunes on Italian pianist and composer Fabio Giachino's At The Edges Of The Horizon offers non-stop interplay and flowing syncopation. There's a certain funky richness to the music, and Giachino's bandmates make the most of the flow of the music, highlighting the rhythmic variations with technical virtuosity. Giachino's own piano style is lyrical and only slightly abstract. He covers the keys easily, like a deer racing through the woods, and ...
read moreDavid Sanborn: The Curtain Rises on Sanborn Sessions
Listed alphabetically, as opposed to first, second, and third place, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, and David Sanborn are as good as it gets when discussing the best and most influential alto saxophone players of all-time. Now before you say what about Phil Woods or Kenny Garrett or any number of others, let me qualify that this is my list, my opinion. Not some carved in stone official list that has been sealed and notarized by some sort of imaginary Grand ...
read moreEric Hofbauer and Dylan Jack: Remains of Echoes
Always attuned to unusual choices that keep his listeners guessing, guitarist Eric Hofbauer knows no bounds when it comes to his repertoire. One is as likely to hear a Cyndi Lauper or Nirvana cover as something by Thelonious Monk or Charlie Parker. And his stylistic approach on the guitar is similarly idiosyncratic, with a gutbucket blues as likely to spill forth as something more spikily avant-garde. This unpredictable creativity is once again on display on Remains of Echoes, an enticing ...
read moreArve Henriksen: The Timeless Nowhere
Released as a limited-edition four-LP set, including the music on two CDs--a total of forty-two tracks, running for over one-hundred-and-fifty-six minutes--Arve Henriksen's The Timeless Nowhere mainly comprises new recordings and unreleased material dating from 2007 to 2019. (Only the live recordings from the 2017 Punkt festival have previously been available, by streaming or download.) Not a compilation of past releases, it serves well as an overview of the trumpeter's work and explorations. Each of the four albums has its own ...
read moreGlafkos Kontemeniotis: Yugen
The second album by Cypriot pianist and composer Glafkos Kontemeniotis, a native of New York City since 1988, presents eleven original compositions. This project is his tribute to the existence of beauty in the world, if one knows how to find it. Joining him on this journey are some of New York's elite players including saxophonist Joel Frahm, bassist Marcus McLaurine and drummer Dave Meade. Also featured are French percussionist and vibraphonist Alexander Gagatsis and Greek singer and educator Eleni ...
read moreSongs of Nick Drake
Nick Drake recorded three of the most sublime albums in the history of folk-rock (or any other genre) in his brief lifetime. He died in relative obscurity at the age of 26 in 1974. A devoted cult following has emerged, and his stature has grown immeasurably in the decades since his passing. Drake's work has been covered by notable artists such as Lucinda Williams, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Calexico. His songs have also been covered by several jazz artists. Brad Mehldau ...
read moreRobert Glasper Trio at Freespace Jazz Festival
Robert Glasper Trio with DJ Sundance The Box, Freespace Freespace Jazz Festival Hong Kong November 10, 2019 What can a visiting artist hope to offer a city in turmoil, torn apart and bleeding from months of violent unrest? Distraction, escape, respite— sure, but just maybe reflection, too. Robert Glasper couldn't have known that almost exactly 12 hours after he left the stage in Hong Kong, an unarmed 21-year-old protestor would be shot in the ...
read moreRemy Le Boeuf: Assembly Of Shadows
Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly Of Shadows, an ambitious jazz orchestra recording, opens with his original composition, the cinematic “Strata," followed by a majestic take on alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman's “Honeymooners," a tune from the free jazz pioneer's Virgin Beauty (Portrait Records, 1988). These sounds--collectively clocking in at fifteen and a half minutes--set the stage for the five-part “Assembly Of Shadows Suite." Saxophonist Le Bouef considered the voices in his orchestra for the purposes of highlighting the individual musical personalities, a ...
read moreShowcase
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The Haywain by Hashima
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e.s.t. live in Gothenburg by Esbjorn Svensson
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MonkTime by Leon Lee Dorsey
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Munich 2016 by Keith Jarrett
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Greene Street Vol.1 by Will Sellenraad
